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We spoke to Beastwang founder, Nico Singh (aka Nico the Beardo), to find out a bit more about the brand and what they hope to bring to the Leicester nightlife scene.

So what is Beastwang?

Beastwang is an underground music club night brand, and we've been running for five years. We play genres like house, UK garage, bassline, grime, dnb, jungle, reggae and more.

We use venues that complement these sounds, and dress up the venue with high quality production (sound and lighting) to create that perfect experience for the customers, and to also leave a lasting impression on acts that we book. We have a team of local resident DJs from Leicester (myself and PJ) and the two universities (Fantom and Meldo), as well a resident MC/host (Kurly Hypa) who create a welcoming feeling for any newcomers to the brand.

This is what makes it your not-so-average club night with a big community feeling. We also have a radio show every Tuesday at 8pm-10pm on 107.5 DemonFM that I host with Kurly, and I'm currently learning the ropes to turn the brand into a record label as well.

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I didn't get to experience my first rave till I was 21 in Sheffield, and was instantly hooked by the whole experience. Seeing an act that you listen to on the regular live was just mind blowing for me, and I guess in Leicester you don't really get that.

At the time the Leicester clubbing scene was very exclusive and being denied in certain places because the colour of your skin really used to get to me. I liked the whole inclusive feeling you get at underground music events, everyone is a VIP. It doesn't matter where you're from, what your ethnicity is, what you're wearing - you're just there to have fun and listen to some incredible music.

After around five months of raving at the start of 2012, I remember thinking 'why hasn't Leicester got anything like this, surely it's a big enough city for something to happen?' From then I researched loads into running a business and club nights because I really didn't have a clue about anything, then I launched the first night five months later in October 2012.

This is our ninety-sixth event where we celebrate five years of Beastwang. We put on our first ever warehouse event in March earlier this year, which was a sell out. I kind of felt that it was lucky because we'd never reached these kind of numbers before - so this one is the real test.

Me and Meldo spent three hours in my car in the early hours of the morning debating what would be the perfect lineup for it, and the feedback we've got so far from people around the country is crazy and the tickets sales speak for themselves as it's officially now sold out.

The line up is:

My Nu Leng

Royal-T & P Money

Bassboy

Distinkt

Special Guests: DJ Guv & Eksman

Fantom b2b Meldo b2b Nico The Beardo b2b PJ

Hosted by: Kurly Hypa

The warehouse itself has a pretty cool history which I've been reading up on. It's one of the oldest textile warehouses in Leicester, and at one time was the largest knitwear producer in Europe. The space we use within it has a super low ceiling for such a large space, which I thought was great for keeping the intimate atmosphere on the night and I've never seen anything like it in the UK. The sound we're bringing has just supplied all the boat parties and Outlook Festival this year and the lighting company has just worked on Bestival - I only want the best of the best working on our show.

The brand has brought artists like Stormzy to the city (Image: RAV Photography)

How do you think the Leicester nightlife scene is changing?

I'd still say the commercial and urban scene is the biggest and will continue to be for a long while. The whole exclusivity, guest-list kind of nights with reality TV stars has just gone out the window and I don't see them coming back - which is a great thing in my eyes. Each to their own though.

In my head my vision has always been to balance the scales between undergound and commercial. Hopefully even to tip the scales more so over to our side, but it's going to take years for that to happen, and more than just one underground promoter.

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Do you think that Leicester could compete with the likes of Birmingham and larger cities soon?

I believe it all comes down to how many venues there are in a city that cater specifically for underground music. That means 10/10 sound, lighting, and the general aesthetic of the space. I know Birmingham has a string of decent venues, so I can't ever see competing with Birmingham - but Nottingham on the other hand, I'd like to reach to their level which I think is achievable. They have two great venue spaces that spring to mind, though in Leicester we don't have any that cater specifically for what we do. More good venues, more good promoters is what Leicester needs.

I always think about the knock-on effects these kind of nights have too. For example, there are a lot of students that come to Leicester and are now able to find friends on the same wavelength and have a memorable uni experience. I've gained some life long friends that I wouldn't have met if I hadn't put on these nights. Local music producers meet each other then become friends and go on to work together. People have been inspired to DJ and gone on to gain a income for themselves.

I see Beastwang as a stepping stone for our customers, and our workforce, for whatever they go on to do in the future. It reminds me of when everyone came together to save Fabric in London from closure - people remembered the important role it has on this subculture. Putting Leicester on the map is the mission for us, and I think we're just about getting there.

My Nu Leng will headline the event on Friday (Image: RAV Photography)

What other events do you have coming up over the rest of the year?

We're pretty busy until December, with two Halloween parties in Leicester, as well as a Winter Carnival and an End of Term party. We'll also be putting on events in Manchester and Nottingham.

Finally... What's your dream line up?

Wow, now that's a tough one. I think DJ EZ has to be up there with no.1 dream act. Line up wise of people I haven't had that I'd like to see at Beastwang... DJ EZ, Shy FX, Benji B, David Rodigan, Digital Mystikz, and Craig Charles.

Thanks Nico. See you on the dancefloor!

Find out more about Beastwang and keep up to date with their events on Facebook .